The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett

Theosophical University Press Edition

Letter No. 32

I am sorry for all that has happened, but it was to be expected. Mr. Hume has put his foot
in a hornet's nest and must not complain. If my confession has not altered
your feelings — I am determined not to influence you and therefore will
not look your way to find out how the matter stands with you, my friend — and if
you are not entirely disgusted with our system and ways; if in short, it is still your
desire to carry on a correspondence and learn, something must be done to check the irresponsible "Benefactor."
I prevented her sending to Hume a worse letter than she wrote to yourself. I cannot
force her to transmit his letters to me nor mine to him; and since it is no longer possible
for me to trust Fern, and that G.K. can hardly be sacrificed with any sense of justice,
to a man who is utterly unable to appreciate any service rendered except his own —
what shall we do about it? Since we have mixed ourselves with the outside world, we have
no right to suppress the personal opinion of its individual members, nor eschew their
criticisms, however unfavorable to us — hence the positive order to H.P.B. to publish
Mr. Hume's article. Only, as we would have the world see both sides of the question, we
have also allowed the joint protest of Deb, Subba Row, Damodar and a few other chelas —
to follow his criticism of ourselves and our System in the Theosophist.

I gave you but hints of what at some other time I will write more at length. Think in the
meantime of the difficulties that lie naturally in our way, and let us not, if your friendship
for me is sincere, — by struggling with our chains, make them straiter and heavier.
For my part I will run willingly the hazard of being thought a self-contradicting ignoramus,
and criticized in unmeasured terms by Mr. Hume in print, provided you really profit by
the tuition, and share from time to time your knowledge with the world. But to give you
my thoughts without disguise I am never like[ly] to risk myself again with any other European
but yourself. As you now see, connection with the outside world, can bring but sorrow
to those who so faithfully serve us, and discredit to our Brotherhood. No Asiatic is ever
likely to be affected by Mr. Hume's egotistical thrusts against us (the result of my last
letter, and of the promise exacted that he will write to me more rarely and less than
he has done) but these thrusts and criticisms that the European readers will accept as
a revelation and a confession, without ever suspecting from whence they have arisen and
by what a deeply egotistical feeling they have been generated — these thrusts are
calculated to do a great harm — in a direction you have not hitherto dreamt of.
Resolved not to lose so useful a tool (useful in one direction, of course) the Chohan
permitted himself to be over-persuaded by us, into giving sanction to my intercourse with
Mr. Hume. I had pledged my word to him that he had repented, — was a changed man.
And now how shall I ever face my Great Master, who is laughed at, made the object of Mr.
Hume's wit, called Rameses the Great, and such like indecent remarks? And he used terms
in his letters, the brutal grossness of which prevents me from repeating them, which have
revolted my soul when I read them; words so filthy as to pollute the very air that touched
them, and that I hastened to send to you with the letter that contained it, so as not
to have those pages in my house, full of young and innocent chelas, that I would prevent
from ever hearing such terms.

Then you yourself, my friend, influenced in this by him more than you know or suspect of —
you yourself deduce but too readily from incompleteness "contradiction."
The novelty or inexplicable aspect of any asserted fact in our science is not a sufficient
reason for setting it immediately down as a contradiction, and proclaim as Hume does in
his article that he could teach in one week that which he succeeded in drawing out of
us in eighteen months, for your knowledge is as yet so limited that it would be difficult
for him to say how much we do or do not know.

But I have lingered too long over this irrational, unphilosophical and illogical attack
upon ourselves and System. One day we will show the invalidity of the objections preferred
by Mr. H. He may be regarded as a sapient counsellor in the municipality, but he could
hardly be regarded in such a light by us. He accuses me of giving through him "false
ideas and facts" to the world; and adds that he would willingly keep aloof from —
break with us but for his desire of benefitting the world! Verily a most easy method of
burking all the sciences, for there is not one in which "false facts" and wild
theories do not abound. Only while the Western Sciences make confusion still more confused
our Science explains all the seeming discrepancies and reconciles the wildest theories.

However, if you do not bring him to his senses there will be soon an end to all —
this time irrevocable. I need not assure you of my sincere regard for you and our gratitude
for what you have [done] for the Society here — indirectly for us two. Whatever
happens, I am at your service. I would, could I but see my way, do all that can be done
for your friend Col. Chesney. For your sake, if the crisis is avoided and
the black cloud blows off — I will instruct him as far as I can. But — may
it not be too late?